Ex-Akali Minister booked for rape, cheating in Punjab

Punjab's former Akali Minister Sucha Singh Langah was booked on Friday on charges of rape, extortion and cheating on a complaint by a woman government employee, police said.

The case was filed against Langah at the Gurdaspur City police station after the woman, a widow, complained that he had been raping her since 2009. No arrest had been made till the time of filing of this report.

Langah, President of the Shiromani Akali Dal's Gurdaspur district unit, was booked under Sections 376 (rape), 384 (extortion), 420 (cheating) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code.

Police sources said the woman attached a video clipping along with her police complaint to substantiate her claim.

She alleged that Langah cheated her by selling off her properties and extorted money from her.

Gurdaspur Senior Superintendent of Police Harcharan Singh Bhullar said an inquiry had been marked into the complaint following which the ex-Minister was booked.

The registration of the case comes days ahead of the October 11 by-election to the Gurdaspur Lok Sabha seat.

The Bharatiya Janata Party, an alliance partner of the Shiromani Akali Dal, is trying to retain the seat that fell vacant following the death of veteran actor and Gurdaspur MP Vinod Khanna in April.

--IANS

js/tsb/bg